June 16, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Dining
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I learned a long time ago that the best Cinnamon Buns, Carrot Cake and Nanaimo Bars in town are at the Hug-A-Mug cafe.
Good timing means getting a table for lunch. It's right downtown on 102nd Ave and a big favorite with the local crowds for lunch and informal get-togethers and meetings.
They make everything right in the kitchen so you can order a home made soup, pick your own ingredients for a sandwich, choose a salad and top it all off with your choice of the many delectable deserts laid out in front of you.
First thing in the morning, there is a steady stream of downtown business people coming to get their coffee, favorite breakfast food and the latest local news.
This cafe is known for its friendliness, wonderful food and big underwater mural. The only problem is choosing what you want from the menu. Everything is as good as Mom made it.
I love to go in early, order my favorite coffee, sit for a while and have mini-visits with the people that come in.
Less than a block from the Mile O Post, and right across the street from Alaska Highway House Interpretive Center this is definitely a great place to stop for lunch when you are walking around and exploring town.
June 15, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Terrace, Climbing & Caving
Are you afraid of heights but still interested in trying your adventurous side at hanging onto a granite rock? Well do not despair because there is an enjoyable opportunity only a short 10 minute drive from the city of Terrace and a 15 minute hike up to Copper Mountain granite slab.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of enjoying some evening sunshine and a beautiful view of the Terrace Skeena valley while bouldering the Copper Mountain granite.
With only a pair of rock climbing shoes I enjoyed the thrill and challenge of bouldering, a style of rock climbing in the horizontal direction without ropes and harnesses. Scary it sounds, however bouldering is a style of climbing emphasizing power, strength, and dynamics only a couple feet off the ground. You feel the workout on your entire body while enjoying a fun sport without the heights!
Try it out if you are feeling adventurous!!
[Editor's note: Learn more about
rock climbing in Northern BC]
June 15, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Osoyoos, Wineries & Vineyards
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I admit it. I’m a little obsessed with Canada – or at least British Columbia. We just got back from a 5-day stay in beautiful Osoyoos in the South Okanagan Valley.
While contemplating a trip to Kelowna, I stumbled on Osoyoos – and more specifically, a little slice of heaven called Spirit Ridge. A year and four visits later, I find myself longing to go back all*the*time. I really can’t stop thinking about it. Why is it so great?
1) Osoyoos is just five hours from Seattle (more or less, depending on your route and number of stops).
2) It is truly another world. The terrain is high desert, mountainous and scattered with sagebrush and very few trees.
3) There are numerous fantastic wineries in the area.
4) There are great restaurants and accommodations.
5) The people are very friendly (and I’ve found this to be true everywhere I’ve gone in Canada).
For me, these add up to be the perfect vacation.
The BC tourist bureau bills the South Okanagan valley “the Napa of the North,” and I see why. I love Napa, but it’s a flight away, so commercialized and a big financial investment.
From May through September, Osoyoos is an oasis. The first time I went (May 2009), it was in the high 80’s. The place is different enough from the wet and lush environment of Seattle to conjure images of California, Arizona and even Mexico. If I closed my eyes, I could be sitting by a pool on the Baja Peninsula – and when I opened them and looked across the vineyards and down toward Lake Osoyoos and finally rested my gaze on the mountains, I felt this was somehow much better. Or at least very different.
What’s more, despite being just 5 miles over the US/Canada border, we ran into only one other American couple while there, adding to the different-from-the-everyday feel of the locale.
June 14, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Ucluelet, Fishing
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"Fish on! Fish on!"
Music to any fisherman's ears, this shout was heard early and often aboard Nootka Princess, part of the Canadian Princess Resort in Ucluelet. I did a weekend fishing trip here in mid-June and had a fabulous time.
Day one: Sunny skies and calm seas find us five miles offshore. We drop our lines and minutes later we have the first fish of the day - a 45lb halibut! There were 12 of us onboard and we call caught at least one halibut. The salmon were a bit more elusive, we ended up with 6 nice Chinooks. One of the other boats from the resort hit the hot spot: 30 nice springs (Chinooks)!
Day two: A gale warning sends us into the sheltered waters of Barkley Sound. The fishing was pretty slow but we did land a few nice salmon, and lost a few good ones, too. A great meal on the deck of their floating resort when we got back in was a perfect end to the day.
The charter boats at this resort are either 43 or 52 feet long and are fast, wide, comfortable and easy to walk around if you want to check out the action. Our skipper, Don, and deckhand Coco were great - easy going, friendly, and patient, especially when the inevitable "birds nest" got into our reels....sorry about that, Coco!
When we checked out all our fish were cleaned, packaged and ready to go. Two glorious days on the water and fresh halibut for dinner when I got home...does it get any better than that?
This was my first time at a fishing resort and I had a great experience. I will definitely be back!
June 14, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Bear Watching
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What a treat to have extended family up for a visit, great summer weather, long days, warm nights, visiting around the fire in the pit in the evening.
The topping on the cake came in the form of an unexpected visitor one Saturday afternoon.
A black bear sauntered into our yard looking like he didn't have a care in the world.
He walked as thought he owned the place, sniffing various things in the yard. Thankfully everyone happened to be in the house at the time, even the dogs were inside.
Crowded around the kitchen window, we watched as Mr. Bear made his way across the lawn on his way to the forest nearby. He must have liked our yard because he stopped to eat some grass and decided to lie down for a couple of minutes in the same spot we had just walked through minutes earlier. He was probably making his way to the wilderness on the banks of the Peace River a few miles away.
Closeness to wildlife was one of the reasons we chose a country lifestyle here in the Peace River Country. This is the fourth bear in our yard in the years we have lived here.
[Editor's Note: Learn more about
bear watching and bear safety in Northern BC]
June 13, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Stewart, Wildlife Tours
Here are some pictures of the wildlife and scenery up taken on trips up Highway 37 and into Stewart, BC.
June 12, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Clearwater, Parks
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Wells Gray Park is located just north of Clearwater, in the heart of British Columbia. When we arrived we first stopped at the Visitor Centre to get an update on trail conditions, then entered the park and made Spahats Falls our first stop. After a short walk from the parking lot, visitors can marvel at how the stream of water has steadily eroded the rocks beneath it and carved a deep trench into the side of the cliff from which it spews.
We then took a drive up Trophy Mountain (leaving behind most of the other visitors, many of whom only venture as far as Spahats Falls). As you ascent the mountain you can see the view open up, and one can enjoy a wide-open south-facing panorama from the top. In later summer, Trophy Mountain's flowers burst into bloom, giving homage to its name.
After descending back into the valley, we drove to Dawson Falls, which is a wide, roaring, and intense albeit not high waterfall. Our last stop for the day was Helmcken Falls (see attached photo), which, at 141 metres, is the fourth highest waterfall in Canada.
Wells Gray Park is a gem located only a short to moderate drive from much of central BC, and many of its sights (including more than 250 waterfalls in the area) can easily be seen on a 1-2 day trip. We saw several bears while in the park, and in general chances of wildlife sightings are quite good.
Roam plenty and roam safely,
your Traveller13
Photo credit: Alex Schare
June 10, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Terrace, Sightseeing Tours
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Yesterday, my fellow employees and I had the pleasure of taking a tour with Split Mountain Adventures around the Terrace area and then over to the Kitselas Canyon.
We met the two tour guides at Terrace's historical George Little House, the original house of the George Little, the founder of Terrace, which is now the local train station. The guides were very welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable about the Terrace area, with many interesting stories about the begginning of the community. They took us to a look out of the Skeena River showing the places the old ferry boats used to travel down.
We then travelled the Kitselas Canyon and you can read all about our experience there on 'Daniel at Kermodei Tourism' 's blog from yesterday. I throughly recommend taking this tour when you're in the Terrace area for a facinating trip full of history, culture and adventure.
June 10, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Museums
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Recently I visited the North Peace Museum in Fort St. John, BC. I am a student from Ontario working in Fort St. John for the summer, and when I was invited by a friend to check out the museum I was not sure what to expect!
Once we got to the museum I was greeted by the great staff and chatted a bit about what the museum has to offer... which includes a great gift shop with interesting books! A lot of the books detail the elaborate history that Fort St. John and area has to offer!
Once past the tempting retail in the gift shop I was brought into the Museum where there are a lot of exhibits! When walking through the museum you realize you are walking through the different ages and time periods of the North Peace and Fort St. John area.
You start some time in A.D. then later on you venture into the 1700's when Mackenzie explored this area then later into the 1900's where you start to realize how 'new' Fort St. John really is!
Something I found truly amazing is how many families that currently live in the area have ancestors that had stores or settled in Fort St. John in the early 1900's!
The museum is the perfect destination for any person of any age! It offers archaeological evidence of dinosaurs and Paleo-Indian artifacts - so for those kids that love dinosaurs or wildlife the museum offers that as well!!
The museum is located off of 100th Street next to Centennial Park!
June 09, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Terrace, Historic & Heritage Sites
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Today I was fortunate to experience a tour of one of Canada's national historic tours of the Kitselas Canyon! This is located about 10 minutes outside of Terrace; and here is where we were welcomed to the land of the "People of the Canyon".
We were able to observe the carving of a very special totem pole which tells a story of the history of the Kitselas people. When this pole is completed, it will be one of the most prestigious poles to be raised within the last hundred years!
After watching the carvers at work, we were able to view some of the traditional longhouses that are in the progress of being completed. Inside these houses we were able to learn alot of history of the people and we were also able to take a look at many artifacts.
The very last activity on the tour was the trolley ride through the old forest to the view point at the canyon! This was an awesome experience that you definately should look into when you come to the Terrace area because you will not be disappointed!